gibbons



w. A. GIBBONS. PNEUMATIC CUSHION.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I0. I916.

Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

lIVI/E/VTOR Willz'sd. Gibbons,

ATTORNEY WIT/V5881 emu S ATES" orries.

COMPANY, A --CORPOBATION F rimuua'rreousnion. I

'citizen of the 'United States, residing at Flushing, L. 1., county of Queens, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Cush ions, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to pneumatic cushions and has for an object to provide a chair, automobile or other cushion, which is self filled with air at atmosphericipressure, and

which retainsthis air under increased pres-- sure when in use. V

Pneumatic cushions as ordinarily con- 'structed require frequent pumping to keep them properly inflated. To obviat e inflating by pumps, the present invention provides a cushionwhich fills itselfwith air at atmospheric pressure when. not in use, this air being imprisoned and its pressure increased when the cushion is in use.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention consists in certain novel de-' tails of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

The invention can be readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in

which Figure 1 is a cross-sectional View showing a cushion embodying my improvements, when not in use.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the cushion in use.

. form a substantially air tight inclosure or envelop. An arched leaf spring 13 is terminall supported upon the bottom 10 and centrally a uts the top 11 of the cushion. An opening 14 formed in the bottom 10 esspecmeatiouotlettera' Patent.

Application filed Key 10, 1818. Serial 11o. 96,508.

' Patented Nov. -1;1 1919.

- tablishes communication between the interior of the cushion and the exterior atmosphere, and pass e of air through this opening is CPIltIOllBSfiJY a check valve15.

In operation the spring 13 causes the top and bottom of the cushion to move apart and act as a bellows, which draws air in through WILLIS a ominous, or rtusnmo, new man, ASSIGNOB. 'ro RUBBER anennnanme the checkvalve 15 until thepressure of air within the cushion reaches atmospheric pressure. When the cushion 1s .in use the weight of the user compresses the air within the cushion, thereby closing and maintaining the check valve closed to revent the escape of air. The air thus imprisoned within the cushion is compressed in roportion'to the Weight of the user to a 0rd suitable buoyancy. Suchair as leaks through the valves, seams or walls of the cushion will be replaced through the check valve during expansion of the cushion under the influence of the spring when the user rises.

In the present embodiment I have shown the-side walls of the cushion as flexible and reinforced at the top and bottom edges by frames 16 and 17, which are yieldingly held spaced apart by leaf springs 18 near the corners. These frames and leaf springs operate tomaintain the shape of the cushion as well as adding rigidity to prevent collapse thereof under excessive load. Furthermore, I have shown the ends of the operating s ring 13 looped around the bottom frame 1 to prevent spreading apart of the ends and to present rounded surfaceswhich will not mutilate the bottom. C lindrical rubber bumpers 19 are secured to t e spring and act as a cushion underneath the ends of the spring when the latter is depressed to an excessiveextent. I have also shown the bottom of the cushion as stiffened by a fiber board sheet 20 which may be cemented or otherwise secured to the bottom and reinforces the same against warping or other distortion.

Under some conditions of service it may be necessary to dispense with the above described check valve which acts under a slight pressure difference, and employ instead a .valve such as is used in bicycle tires, the

is self acting under slight pressure difference, or must be opened by hand, the cushion is a self inflating cushion which itself prorides the for obtaining the necessary v erence in pressure between the interior- ()1 the cushion and the exterior atmosphere, the actual means for entrance of air and equalization of this pressure being the check valve operated by said pressure difierence,

other type of valve operated by hand or same mechanical means.

The above described parts of the cushion such as the top, bottom and side Walls may be of any desired material and the cushion as such may be inclosed ithin an outer protective covering if desired. Furthermore, any desired type of spring may be used, and in fact, other means than a spring may be used to expand thecushion. 1

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Le ters Patent is:

1. A self-inflating cushion, embodying a casing having a yielding well, said casing being suficiently impervious to the passage of air to support the load resting upon the cushion, means for automatically expanding the casing when the load is removed, means for automatically admitting air to the cas- 7 ing when the load is removed, a pair of frames disposed within said. casing, and yieiding means for normally holding said frames in spaced relationship,

2. A. self-inflating cushion embodying a casing having a yielding well, said easlng' cally expand the casing when the load is removed, rubber bumpers adapted to cushion the bow spring when said spring is in a depressed position, and means for automaticall admitting air to the casing when the loa is removed Signed at New York, N. Y., this 6th day LLIS A. GIBBONS.

v of May, 19-16., 

